The center of the storm traversed the island on an east-to-west path in late September 1932, killing 272 people and inflicting at least $35 million in damage.

The cyclone passed near Jamaica on September 29 and moved ashore British Honduras on October 1 as a tropical storm, dissipating the next day over southeastern Mexico.

Most of the damage caused by the San Ciprián hurricane occurred in Puerto Rico, particularly along the island's northern half.

The presence of unusually high air pressures throughout the Atlantic and eastern North America caused the 1932 San Ciprián hurricane to take an atypical path directed towards the west and west-southwest over its duration.

[6] Around 13:00 UTC on September 26, the center of the storm passed near Saba with winds of 140 mph (230 km/h);[d] the steep pressure gradient measured on that island was indicative of a small and rapidly intensifying hurricane.

[8] At around 04:00 UTC on September 27, the compact hurricane made landfall on Puerto Rico near Ensenada Honda in the municipality of Ceiba.

[8] Land interaction with Puerto Rico caused the storm's maximum winds to decrease to 105 mph (169 km/h);[d] the hurricane maintained this strength until it struck the southern ends of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on September 28.

[8] The tropical storm reorganized slightly upon making its final landfall south of Belize City in British Honduras at around 18:00 UTC on October 1 with winds of 45 mph (72 km/h).

[6] The firing of warning guns on Saint Thomas 90 minutes before the storm's arrival allowed the island's populace to seek shelter.

[16] The Weather Bureau office in San Juan was first made aware of the storm's presence on September 26, following a report of the passage of a "moderate disturbance" near Antigua.

[6][17] This and subsequent bulletins were disseminated in Puerto Rico by the territorial government, the U.S. Navy, and local radio station WKAQ.

Mayors and police forces in Puerto were advised by the Weather Bureau's first statements on the storm to begin safeguarding lives and property.

A meeting was held on the afternoon of September 26 between the governor, heads of executive departments, the manager of the Puerto Rican chapter of the American Red Cross, and other prominent citizens to formulate plans of actions for possible emergencies arising from the hurricane's passage; these included the mobilization of crews to repair communications infrastructure and police-assisted evacuation of vulnerable people into the sturdiest buildings.

[19] Forty-nine municipalities of Puerto Rico were affected by the storm to varying degrees, with devastation wrought across the northern half of the territory.

[4] The hurricane's effects killed 257 people;[4] most of these fatalities were due to the collapse of buildings, with wind-blown debris and drownings also responsible for some deaths.

[4] Though people took shelter in buildings thought to be safe, only well-built masonry and concrete structures withstood the storm in the hardest-hit areas.

Homes with corrugated iron sheet roofs attached using smooth or twisted nails, common in San Juan, were unroofed.

[8] Writing to the United States Secretary of War in 1933, Beverly described the damage was more severe than the 1928 San Felipe hurricane for the areas affected.

[20] Telephone and telegraph lines between San Juan and the eastern parts of Puerto Rico were disrupted on the night of September 26.

[22] Forests along the Sierra de Luquillo were defoliated and exhibited high tree mortality after being lashed by the heavy rains and strong winds.

[6] Workers from the Puerto Rican Department of the Interior, assisted by prisoners and volunteers, quickly cleared roads of debris once the storm passed.

National Guard and Red Cross personnel were promptly dispatched into the affected areas to aid recovery efforts; medical and food supplies were distributed in the larger impacted municipalities within 24 hours of the storm's passage.

[22] For the 1932 storm, a Hurricane Relief and Rehabilitation Commission was formed on September 27 in cooperation with the Red Cross, split into an executive committee and two subcommittees.